ouroboros
by astrovagant
Summary: In which revenge is only a means to an end, fate is strange, affairs between the Worlds are even stranger still, and redemption is more than the moral of a story. [YGO/YYH/HP. Rewrite of Chasing Shadows.]


**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Harry Potter.**

 **A/N: So, this happened. Did y'all miss me?**

* * *

 **.~.~.**

 _ **requiem (n.)**_

 _a solemn chant (as a dirge) for the repose of the dead_

 **.~.~.**

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The first thing that he registered was the unbearable heat. The sand beneath him dug into his bare feet like coals straight from a fire. He didn't know where he was, or how he'd gotten here. Golden dunes stretched on endlessly, reaching far beyond the horizon.

The sun watched him from its perch in the sky. It screamed at him, its rays louder than any drum. I'm here, it said, watch me burn. Watch me scorch everything in my path, watch me turn everything new again.

He kept his eyes trained on the ground beneath him. The sand was too bright, too loud, but at least its fingers didn't pry at his eyes, didn't leave imprints underneath his eyelids for him to find when he finally closed them to rest.

He'd seen enough destruction for a lifetime.

A sudden wind tore through the air, hot, heavy, spraying sand onto exposed skin.

The men behind him jeered from their camels, the cloths adorning their faces protecting them from the onslaught.

Prisoners didn't get that luxury.

He ignored them and closed his eyes, lips curling into a smile. It was time. They'd never know what hit them.

The world disappeared.

.

Ryou awoke with a start, the taste of burnt flesh on his tongue and invading his nose. He lurched forwards, catapulting himself out of bed and tripping over long limbs. The toilet was cold beneath his fingers, smelling of bleach as he emptied the contents of his stomach until he was left with nothing but dry heaves and a sour taste in his mouth. The smell was just as present by the time he was done. Welcoming the cold tiles against his skin, he slumped to the floor. Even in the darkened room, it felt like the sun was still blaring down on him from above. Watching, judging. Eventually forcing himself upright with the idea of a cool shower to wash away the feeling of sand lingering on his skin, he swayed on his feet as he fumbled with the shower's handles. His hands shook as he brushed his hair behind his ears, waiting for the water to change temperatures.

It was just a dream, he reminded himself. Just another horrible nightmare cooked up by his messed up subconscious.

He could handle it.

Ignoring the feeling that he was being watched, he stepped into the rushing water.

 **.~.**

Prince Enma breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He still wasn't sure if he was making the right decision, but he'd been left with no choice. As a demigod, he was often left feeling both powerful and helpless. Playing with people's lives never got any easier.

Sometimes, he longed to be human, to be free from the weight of the world on his shoulders. To meet someone special and start a family and grow old and die and be reborn as something new and limitless. What was it like, on the other side of the glass? He'd seen the cycle of life firsthand, seen death and rebirth, but he would forever be an observer to the world of the living.

Before he'd crossed paths with Yusuke Urameshi, he'd been able to keep a wall between himself and the ever-present longing. It had been fun while it lasted, living as a human for a time, but returning to the World of Spirits, his father's land, had left a hole in his chest that he couldn't fill.

Eyes drawn to the pond before him, he let himself remember his time on Earth. A melancholy smile crossed his lips. Finally, brushing off both his robes and the sentiment clouding his mind, he stood.

He had all the time in the world to contemplate his place universe. The worlds weren't going to run themselves.

Turning on his heel, he left the pond behind, setting a course for his office.

He had work to do.

 **.~.**

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 **Notes:**

This is a rewrite of Chasing Shadows. On my account, there are two versions of this story, each one a rewrite. This will be the third. I haven't touched this plot in nearly four years, but I never forgot it. I've been working on some incarnation of this story or another since I was about 13 or 14, so it'll always be a part of me. I've been working on this rewrite since last November as a birthday present to myself. I wanted to celebrate what got me into writing. I'm a different person now than I was at 13, and a much better writer. I think I'll always be growing, but this is hopefully the last time that I rewrite this before truly finishing it. I'm not quite sure where I'm going yet, but it's going to be a wild ride!

This is a **three-way crossover** between _Yu-Gi-Oh_ (King of Games), _Yu Yu Hakusho_ (Ghost Files/Poltergeist Report), and the _Harry Potter_ series. It is placed in the Yu-Gi-Oh/Harry Potter crossover section for convenience. It is placed **after** both Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu Yu Hakusho's canon endings and placed **before and during** _Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince_. Consider it an AU after HP book 5. It is mostly placed in YYH's anime universe and Yu-Gi-Oh's manga/anime verse (I'll be incorporating bits from both, as I never read through the entirety of the YGO manga, just most of it). Elements of this story are borrowed from Phate Phoenix's _The Difference Between Shadows and Darkness_. The story's notes were given to me by the author a few years ago in hopes that I would continue it, but I have permission to use the ideas from the author themself. This story is also partially inspired by JoIsBishMyoga's **The Best Defense is a Great Offence** series.

Anyway, please review! I'd love to know what y'all think!

-astrovagant


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